Farmers Movement Archive

Bharat bandh complete flop, say ruling parties

PATNA: The ruling NDA and the opposition dubbed the impact of Tuesday’s Bharat bandh called by the farmer unions on expected lines. While NDA allies BJP and JD(U) described the bandh as “flop and unjustified”, the opposition parties said it was “huge success and historic”. State JD(U) spokespersons Sanjay Singh and Rajiv Ranjan described the bandh as unsuccessful. “The opposition parties supported the bandh to regain their lost position,” they said. “There was no justification for the bandh call when the central government was having detailed discussions with the farmers,” JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan said. He claimed the then Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, in his letter to the state governments in August 2010, had asked them to incorporate the same provisions in the laws as has been done by the Centre today. State BJP spokesman Prem Ranjan Patel described the bandh as “flop” as it “did not get support from common people and even the farmers”. Meanwhile, state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha said the Centre enacted the farm laws and anti-youth policies to help the capitalists. “The Centre will have to withdraw the three farm laws,” he added. CPI(ML) state secretary Kunal said nothing less than the withdrawal of the three farm laws and proposed electricity Bill and guaranteed purchase of the farm produce of the farmers at the MSP rates will be acceptable to them. CPI state secretary Ram Naresh Pandey and others took out a march to Dak Bungalow from their office at Janshakti Bhavan here.

The Times of India

2020-12-09

Patna